Lost Dreams
by Eliah Margravine
Summary: When we dream, we enter a world all our own. In a world where dreams and nightmares are very much real, Ariella must figure out which world she wants to be in, before her nightmares decide for her.
1. Familar Stranger

The ringing in my ears was unbearable. My heartbeat was slow and steady in my chest, but in my head it echoed loud and clear. I heard soft whispers as I attempted to open my eyes and sit up. Two cold hands gently rested on my shoulders and my eyes shot open. The room was dark, only one candle lit the room beside the bed I lay in. I inhaled sharply, but my breath was cut short, restricted by the bandages wrapped around my chest. I felt the blood in my back rush through my veins carrying a jolt of pain with every pump of my heart. It felt like my back was on fire.

"Don't sit up too fast." came a whisper from the dark. My eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness, but I could tell it was coming from the shadow that was in front of me, the one resting the hands on my shoulders. The voice was low, not quite a mans voice, but a teenagers voice. I continued to sit up slower and I felt the hands leave my shoulders. Another pillow was put behind me so I could lean back. The coolness of the pillow brought relief to the burning sensation that filled my back.

As my eyes adjusted I could see the shadow sitting at the edge of the bed. He was a young man, no older then eighteen. His skin was fair, and his bright green eyes were barely seen behind the dark brown curls that hid his face. His hands were folded in his lap as he watched me. He wore a faded flannel shirt and a pair of jeans that had seen more dirt and mud then any jeans should. He wore no shoes on his feet.

I struggled to remember what had happened. I closed my eyes and wracked my brain, trying to play back events that were misty in my mind. The throbbing in my head continued, so I stopped. When I opened my eyes again, I met his gaze. He was so familiar, as if I'd met him once but never saw him again. The confused look on my face must have been evident because a crooked smile crept along his face.

"I'm so glad this is entertaining to you." I said. My voice was raspy and my throat was dry, but my irritation was clear. There were so many questions no one had answered. How long had I been asleep? Where was I? Who was this mysterious young man?

"It's only entertaining in the sense that you don't remember anything, Ariella." he said in a soft whisper. He knew my name. I didn't know whether to feel foolish or relieved. How could he know me? We've never met. At least that's what I hoped.

"What happened?" I asked my voice still raspy and dry. I wanted water. I yearned for it, but I needed to know what happened first. He locked eyes with me again, but this time it was hard to hold his gaze. The seriousness in his eyes was almost overwhelming. I was expecting a tragic story, but all I got were five simple words.

"You came through the mirror."


	2. The Mirror

I wanted to turn back, but I had come so far. My legs were weak from the uphill climb, and my knees continued to give out on me, causing me to fall and scrape my hands. Blood was soaking through the gloves I put on to protect my hands and there was a slight sting every time I moved. They began to numb slightly, but I pushed on. I could still hear the music.

At least that's what I thought it was. My routine weekend hike had turned into a quest to seek out the mysterious music playing through the mountains. It was high pitched, but had a twisted melody that sounded flawless, almost something you'd think a siren would sing to a sailor at sea.

As I climbed higher into the mountain, grass, shrubs, and trees became scarce and it became harder to breathe. Before I knew it, the summit of the mountain was in sight. The music became louder and more clear which meant I was getting closer. When I reached the top, I looked out over the valley, down to the small town where I was attending school. I'd never made it this far. When I turned around, I was shocked to see a small cave. The music was louder now and the melody became more clear. It was no longer a high pitched whistle, but a man's voice singing words in such a language it didn't even seem real.

I was drawn to the music, that much I knew for sure. My heart began to race and I felt my face get hot. My knees felt like jello and I couldn't find the words to yell into the cave to see if anyone was there. It felt as though I was falling in love, and I wanted to step into the cave to see who could possibly be singing the melody that was capturing my heart. The voice was nothing less than angelic.

At the mouth of the cave I stopped. The air in the cave was different. The angelic voice I had heard was now silent. Everything was still. Not a creature moved within, and the wind picking up outside couldn't be heard whistling within the cave.

"Hello?" I yelled into the cave. The only response was my voice echoing back. The air remained still, but the melody picked up again. It was soft but held as true as before. I forced myself to take a step into the cave, then another, and another. Suddenly, something moved out of the corner of my eye. I turned sharply to meet the creature in the cave. My heart raced as I thought I was meeting my end. No one ever hiked this high up the mountain, and surely no one would hear me scream if I was attacked.

To my surprise, it was not a creature that stood in front of me. It was a person. A young girl with brown curls that fell around her shoulders. She was wearing a heavy coat and gloves that were soaked with blood. Her dark brown eyes were pierced with fear. It was me.

I was staring into a mirror. I sighed in relief and quietly laughed at myself for being so afraid of my own reflection. As I stepped closer to the mirror, the melody got louder. I stopped at arms length. The music had been coming from the mirror. I looked behind it looking for some hidden stereo. I scanned the walls and the floors of the cave, but there were no speakers, cameras, or people. I was scanning the wall opposite of the mirror when I heard a voice.

"Ariella," it said. The voice was barely audible and sounded as though someone had whispered my name silently, letting it get carried by the wind. When I turned, no one was there. It was just me, staring at my own reflection. I turned my back to continue searching the wall for a hidden camera when the voice came again. "Ariella." it said more harshly. I turned sharper this time, but still no one was there. The voice softened again and continued to say my name. I stepped timidly over to the mirror thinking that it would just be easier to leave, forget about the mirror, and hike back down.

I took off one of my blood soaked gloves and reached for the mirror. Slowly, timidly, but long fully. I had to prove to myself that this was just like every other mirror. When my fingers connected with the glass, it began to ripple like a wave in the water. The entire mirror was enveloped with the ripples that came from my fingers. I stepped back unsure of what was going to happen next. This entire trip had been out of the ordinary, but I knew for a fact that it wasn't possible for a mirror to do this. To ripple and distort the image. Glass was solid, not liquid. Simple fact.

I turned to leave, determined to erase this event from my memory when the reflection began to change. I froze. I felt the blood drain for my face as I awaited for a different reflection. Maybe it was like a horror movie where the crazy killer is seen in the mirror. I was done for. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. This was the end of me, and no one would ever know. I felt like I was going to be sick. I doubled over and heaved. Nothing happened. I did it again, and my breakfast littered the cave floor. I fell to my knees and refused to look up at the reflection. I choked on sobs as the lump in my throat became too strong to hold back.

After sitting for several minutes, I finally looked up. There was no crazy killer in the mirror, but the girl looking back at me was no longer me. At least she wasn't the real me. I got to my feet and leaned against the wall of the cave for support. The girl in the mirror was the same height, but the brown curls were snow white. She had a pale complexion, and her eyes were ice blue. She looked just as scared as I did, but I had to keep reminding myself that the girl in the mirror was me. The last thing to catch my eye in the reflection was the pair of angel wings on her back. They were beautiful. The same color as her hair, carefully folded against her back.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" I whispered under my breath. I watched the reflection carefully, watching her lips as I spoke. Her lips moved with mine, and her movements were the same: when she inhaled, when she exhaled, when she moved a piece of stray hair out of her face. "This is you," I told myself, "Are you afraid of your own reflection?" I felt foolish talking to myself. I pulled myself together and steadied my feet. I walked back over to the mirror, but about two feet away, I tripped. I put my arms up to guard my face from the mirror that was sure to shatter, but I just continued to fall.


	3. Ritic

**I don't know how long I'd been falling until I finally opened my eyes. I was falling faster and faster as the moments ticked by, and the ground was coming up fast. I looked up and began to search the sky for the cave, the mirror, the mountain, anything that looked familiar. I remember tripping and guarding my face from the glass that I thought would shatter, but now I was falling to my death. When I looked back down, I could see the area I was going to fall in. Scorched trees with rotting leaves blanketed the land for as far as I could see. I couldn't see the ground beneath them, the shadows too thick and dark. My stomach lurched when I began to play out the graphic death I was about to face.**

**I would hit the branches first with such an impact that my ribs would shatter and I would be cut so deeply that by the time I hit the ground, blood would be pouring from my veins. My clothes would be stripped from my body and I would be left on the cold hard ground in the dark forest to die, rot, and be eaten by a wild animal. The thought of being eaten dead, or worse, **_**alive, **_**was unbearable. I tensed my entire body, hoping the more rigid I was, the harder the first blow, and hopefully, the final blow. I shut my eyes tight, so tight I saw stars, and held my breath. I was instantly jerked upwards and I felt muscles in my back that I've never felt before begin to move. I forced myself to open my eyes. Out of the corner of my vision I saw a white blur. When I craned my neck to look, I couldn't believe what I saw.**

**I had wings. The same white wings that I had in the mirror's reflection. They were smoothly moving up and down to keep me hovering above the trees. I began to relax, as did the muscles in my back, and I slowly descended into the trees.**

**When my feet touched the ground, I let out a sigh of relief. As long as I was on the ground, I felt safe and solid. This new area was warmer then the mountain, so I shredded my coat. As I slid it over my wings, I noticed that the wings had sprouted not only through my coat, but the long sleeve shirt I was wearing. **_**Great, **_**I thought to myself, **_**the only clothes I have will have two holes in them. **_**I guess it didn't matter though. As long as I had wings, I'd have to have holes cut in my clothes.**

**I took in my surroundings quietly, only to see the same things I had seen from the sky. Black trees with rotting leaves created a maze of branches and dark shadows. It was quiet, almost too quiet. The only sound I could hear was my own steady breathing and the shuffle of my feet when I turned around. Suddenly though, I heard clapping. I jumped in surprise and I could have sworn my heart stopped. I looked up in the trees to see a shadow high up on a branch.**

"**Bravo," I heard a voice say. It was smooth and sweet, but overall, angelic. "I thought you wouldn't figure out how to use those things in time." The shadow shifted slightly and I moved away from the tree.**

"**Who's there?" My voice was more shaky and less confident then I would have liked, but I truly was scared. Terrified even. I took a few more steps away from the tree, but tripped over a lone limb. I was vulnerable yet again. I cursed under my breath for being so clumsy. Before I could get my hands under me, the shadow jumped from the tree to the ground. I scurried backwards, kicking and trying to get up, but I kept losing my balance and falling down.**

"**Here," the shadow said, "Let me help you." The shadow stepped into a ray of sunlight, and my breath caught when a person appeared. He was tall and thin. His hair was black, down to his shoulders and his eyes were pure green. He wore nothing but black, and the wings on his back matched all the same. He gave a gentle smile and held out his hand. "My apologies, I must have startled you."**

**I placed my hand in his, and a wave of chills ran through my body. His hands were like ice, but they were soft. He pulled me to my feet, but his hand lingered in mine a little longer than I thought comfortable. I pulled my hand away and pretended to play with my hair. His eyes dropped to the ground and he put his hands into his pockets. I couldn't help but look at him. He seemed so familiar, like I had seen him before. He caught me looking at him, and I looked away as quickly as I could. I felt my face get hot. I felt so childish just watching him.**

"**Hey," he said taking a step closer to me, "Don't worry if you don't remember me, I know it's been a while." He tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear, revealing multiple piercings. I looked at him then. How could he know who I was? He chuckled and took my hands in his, squeezing them slightly. "My dear, do you even know where you are?" I shook my head. He began to laugh. His voice melted me every time he talked, but his laugh made my knees weak.**

"**Please tell me where I am," I said, my voice shaking. The fear was suddenly beginning to take over. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know how to get back to where I needed to be, and I sure as hell didn't know who I was standing with. Tears began to well in my eyes and before I could blink them back, a few escaped down my cheek. Weak sobs began to erupt, and his laughing stopped, instantly becoming concerned.**

"**Oh my dear," he said softly, "No need for the tears." He pulled me closer to him and wiped away the tears with his thumb. He cradled my face in his hand as I tried to control myself. I began to take deep breaths to calm myself, but more tears escaped. He caught them before they could stain my shirt, and hushed me softly. I didn't like the close contact, especially with a stranger, but at the same time, I felt safe knowing that there was someone else there. The sobbing began to cease, and the tears slowed. He gave me another warm smile as he took his hand off of my face and wrapped it around my waist. I felt a gentle push on the small of my back, but I put my hands between us. Something wasn't right.**

"**What are you doing?" I asked. I was up against him now. The only wall between us was my two hands. My stomach began to churn. Even though he was thin, I could tell by the way that he held me that he was stronger than he appeared to be. I tried to push him a way, gently so my fear didn't show, but he just pulled me in tighter. I began to panic then. I looked up at him, and was stricken with fear. A wicked grin had spread across his face and his arm wrapped around me even tighter. "Stop, please," I pleaded, "let's just talk. Please stop." My heart began racing, and I became dizzy. The corners of my vision were going black, and I willed myself not to pass out. **_**Who knows what will happen to me if I pass out, **_**I thought to myself. I felt the adrenaline begin to course through my veins, and I pushed him harder this time.**

**He stumbled backwards and I felt his arm leave my waist. I turned to run, when he caught my arm. "Please don't go," he pleaded. I turned to look at him, and he seemed normal again. The wicked grin that had twisted his face was replaced by a slight frown. "It's just been so long," he said softly, "I didn't know how to react. I should have known you wouldn't remember me, but I thought the close contact would jog your memory. I'm sorry." He let go of my arm then, letting his hand drop to his side.**

**Part of me told myself to run while I could, but another part of me felt pity for the angel standing in front of me. Everyone makes mistakes right? And surely he didn't mean what he had done if he stopped. I turned to face him completely, but folded my arms so he couldn't grab my hands. "Tell me what's going on and I'll stay." I said quietly, barely a whisper, "Tell me who you are, and how you know me, because I can assure you I don't know who you are." The look of pain that shot across his face made my heart drop. He folded his arms and wouldn't meet my gaze. The pain quickly was replaced by anger as he put his arms to his sides and clenched his fists. His knuckles were turning white, and his jaw was clenched tightly. I could hear the hiss of his breath as he tried to remain calm. I reached for him, wanting to comfort him, regretting what I had said, but he turned away. His fist was a blur as it slammed into the tree. He hit it hard, the cracking noise of the bark was evident.**

"**How can you not remember?" He shouted, "I was in your dreams for years! Three years to be exact!" I flinched as he turned back my way. His face was red with anger, his eyes no longer green. They were black. I looked at his hand, still clenched in a tight fist, to see it wasn't bleeding. **_**If he hits me, **_**I thought, **_**it'll be the end. **_**I took a few steps back, but his steps matched mine. Every step I took backwards, he took one forward. "You must faintly remember me," he said, calmer this time, but still angry. He took a few strides and closed the gap between us. I stepped backwards hoping to create a wall, but a tree met my back. "Dreams don't fade that fast. You must remember me, you must." He closed the gap once again, and placed a hand on either side of me so I couldn't escape. I could feel his breath on my face. I could see every feature of his face now. He had no flaws, something I slightly remembered. He was becoming more familiar, the way he talked, the way he moved, it was all coming back to me.**

"**What's your name?" I asked. I dared not move in fear that he would pin me to the tree. I didn't want to anger him anymore than he already was. He looked at me, locking his eyes with mine. They were slowly fading back into that beautiful green. His jaw relaxed, as did his entire body, but his arms did not drop this time. He was quiet for a long time.**

"**Ritic." He said simply.**

**I don't know what it was about the name itself that finally made everything click, but it did. There's no way I could have forgotten that name, so simple, yet so complex. Ritic, the boy I made up at the age of ten, and the boy I dreamt about until I was thirteen. After that, dreams became more scarce, and I never saw him again. In my dreams, he was always struggling with anger, yelling, hitting things. I don't know how such an innocent child of ten could dream up such a troubled thing, but I managed to. The worst part though, was whenever I dreamt of Ritic, it wasn't a dream. It was always a nightmare. I hated going to sleep for three long years because I knew he'd be there once my eyes closed. How could he be standing in front of me now and think that he brought me happiness? He made me miserable in my sleep, always yelling at me and chasing me through the woods. These woods. **

"**I think I need to go," I said ducking under his arm. I wanted to get out of the woods, and away from Ritic. Now that I remembered who he was and what he was like, he no longer looked like an angel to me, but a monster. The woods, once dark and creepy before, now held a dangerous quality to it.**

"**Now you remember." Ritic said taking a few steps toward me. I didn't hesitate this time. I turned on my heels and bolted into a sprint. Within a few seconds, I knew it was a big mistake. The trees went on for miles, and he knew the terrain better than I did. The branches were already tearing at my clothes and my skin. I was reliving a nightmare. The same nightmare I had had for three years. The only thing that was different, was I had wings.**

**I stopped then. **_**I have wings. Fly you idiot, fly! **_**I tensed the muscles in my back and jumped upwards, hoping I was doing it right. I had only flown once before, and tensing my muscles had worked. Thankfully, I felt those same muscles moving and I shouted triumphantly into the sky. I was flying. I had an escape from Ritic this time. I had a chance. At least that's what I thought.**

**I hadn't seen him coming until it was too late. He burst through the trees below me, his black wings twice the wingspan of my own, and he knocked me in the stomach with his fist. I clenched my stomach, but continued to fly. I looked back up, only to see him diving back at me. Before I knew it, he drove his elbow in between my shoulder blades and continued to drive me down through the trees and back down to the forest floor. I wish the impact would have killed me, but that would have been too easy for him. The braches weren't strong enough to break my ribs, but the compacted dirt of the forest floor knocked the wind out of me. As I struggled to regain air, I felt him place his foot in the small of my back. He pressed down and I felt him grab my wings. I struggled to get up, my heart racing and breathing coming in short swallows. I kicked and punched, but I couldn't reach him. Tears began to flow again.**

"**Get off of me!" I screamed, my voice cracking. He laughed as I struggled to turn around. He began pulling on my wings, and I could feel the muscles begin to tear. A burning pain shot through my back as I continued to struggle, and he continued to laugh. "Stop!" I screamed, anger building up inside me. He wasn't going to do this to me, not again. I had dealt with it for three years, and I wasn't about to become the victim yet again. But he did not yield. His foot pressed harder into my back, and he yanked my wings harder. More pain shot through my back, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. I wouldn't give him the pleasure of hearing me beg for mercy and for freedom. I tasted blood in my mouth, but I continued to bite.**

"**You won't be going anywhere after this." he said, his voice raspy and hoarse. With those final words, he gave one final yank, and the pain in my back intensified. I couldn't tell you if I screamed or not, or if I blacked out. All I remember was him laughing at me, a horrendous, twisted laugh. I didn't roll over to look at him, but I watched him as he walked past me, my wings in his hands. He looked at me, threw them on the ground, and spit on them. His eyes had returned to black, and that same wicked grin he had had on his face before had returned.**

"**You sick bastard!" I screamed, "You tore off my wings! You're sick! Sick!" My voice was becoming raspy and the edges of my vision were beginning to blur. Something hot and sticky was covering my back, making my shirt stick to me. I reached my hand back and felt the sticky liquid. I felt like I was going to be sick. I brought my hand back so I could see it, only to see it was covered in blood. I screamed, but it was cut short. He had walked back over to me, and kicked me in the ribs. I clenched my side, and tried to guard myself, but I was defenseless. He kicked me again in the stomach and I heaved, hoping I would get sick just to relieve the pain.**

**He brought back his foot for another kick when a shadow crossed over us. As he glanced up at the sky, something hit him from the side, causing him to slam into a tree. He was knocked out cold. Another shadow passed over me, but I didn't look up. My entire body ached and I prayed that it would just end. My vision continued to blur and blood continued to flow from the two wounds in my back. I took one last look at Ritic, only two see two men tying him to a tree. They were both tall, and built. They also had angel wings.**

"**Help me." I said, but I don't think they heard me. It hurt to breathe, and my voice was weak. I was bleeding to death, but neither one looked my way.**

"**Don't move," I heard a voice above me say, "I'm going to bandage you up, and we're going to make sure you're safe." The voice was gentle, but firm. I didn't move. I don't think I could have moved even if I wanted to. I felt cold water run over my back, which helped relieve the burning for only a short while. Then, I felt the bandages on my back. I felt two hands gently sit me up to finish wrapping the bandages. "I have to cut off your shirt to minimize the risk of infection." I heard the voice say, but it sounded farther away this time. I was losing consciousness. I just nodded my head. I felt something slice up the front of my shirt and hands on my bare skin. I should have been embarrassed, but if this would save my life, I didn't want to protest. **

**The hands worked diligently, tightly wrapping the bandages so the blood would flow slower. I tried to get a good look of the person who was helping me, but it was becoming dark in the forest, and his shadow was all I could see. The only thing I knew for sure, was that it was a man. He kept telling me I was going to be alright. I wanted to believe him, but as I continued to slip into darkness, I heard the melody again. The twisted melody sung by an angelic voice.**

"**Shut up!" I heard a man order, followed by a loud crack. I heard Ritic laugh. He was the one who was singing. The melody that brought me to the mirror was him all along. I wanted to cry, but my eyes seemed fresh out. I heard myself whimper, and he began to laugh again. "I said shut up!" I heard the man shout again. I heard another crack, and this time, Ritic shut up. **_**I hope they knocked him out again, **_**I thought to myself.**

"**We're getting you out of here," the shadow in front of me said, "but I have to pick you up. It's going to hurt, but you have to trust me, ok?" I shook my head again, and felt him scoop me into his arms. The pain in my black pulsed through my veins, but the darkness in my vision finally engulfed me, and I didn't feel anything. Everything was black, and I was numb. I wanted to stay like this, never to wake up. I would never have to remember what Ritic did to me, and I would never have to feel that pain of having my wings ripped off my back. **

**I'd never had a dream that felt so real, but part of me told me that this was my new reality.**


	4. Lost Dreams

**The chapter is finally done! I think it's really worth while to see how this one ends ;)**

It had been about three days since Ritic's attack. During those days, I was forced to wake up and remember. I was forced to remember the mirror, the angelic melody, and my childhood nightmare. I tried to tell myself that when I woke up, I would be back in my dorm, ready to go on my hike, but there would be no music. There wouldn't be a mirror, or a different world behind that mirror. When I woke up, it would be just another day in the life of Ariella. Sadly, when I woke up, I was in the same bed, in the same room, with the same person.

The first day, I cried. The tears never seemed to yield. For most of that day, I sat in bed, unable to get up due to the pain in my back, and cried. The new stranger had tried to comfort me, but I refused to let him touch me. The last time I had done that, I had gotten my wings ripped off. Unlike Ritic though, he had accepted my request and sat in a chair on the other side of the room. He didn't watch me, nor did he speak. He folded his hands in his lap and looked at the floor, listening to me cry. Once in a while he'd get up and go for a walk, only to return fifteen minutes later with a warm drink in his hand and some food. I didn't eat because I feared choking on my food in between sobs. Not only that, but my appetite had disappeared after being driven into the ground by an old nightmare. I only drank water that he brought to me to keep me hydrated.

By the time the sun went down on the first day, I was exhausted. Crying had never been so tiresome. I was asleep before the sun dipped below the horizon, and didn't wake up until past noon on the second day. I opened my eyes to him sitting at the edge of my bed watching me. He had brought me a warm breakfast of toast with peanut butter, waffles, and a bowl of fruit. To top it off, he even brought me a big glass of chocolate milk. A smile crossed his face as I began to eat. I waited for him to start a conversation, but was relieved when he didn't say a word. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to the one who saved my life, I just didn't know what to say. I had a lot of questions, but I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answers he had to give, if he had any to give at all. There was only one thing I wanted know: His name.

After chugging half the glass of chocolate milk, I set down my glass and just sat with my hands in my lap, looking at him. It took him a moment to realize I had stopped eating before he finally looked at me. "All done?" he asked me. I didn't answer. I just held his gaze. I was building up the courage to ask him his name. Every time I opened my mouth to say something, the words never came, and I blushed in embarrassment. His eyes shifted, obviously uncomfortable, and he began to fidget with his hands.

"What's your name?" I asked, after building up the courage. I was regaining my voice, but it was still faint. My body still ached from the attack. My back burned, but I could sit up on my own without a pillow for support, although it was nice to have. My ribs still hurt, but only if I moved too quickly. As long as I was careful, the pain was tolerable. He stopped fidgeting with his hands and looked at me with his beautiful green eyes. They were the same color Ritic's were, but they held a shine and kindness that Ritic's eyes had not. He smiled again, and I felt myself begin to blush. Again. He was handsome to say the least.

"Daniel," he said simply with a smile. He held out his hand then, and I took it. I thought he was going to shake my hand, but he took my hand and brought it towards his lips. My breath caught when his lips met my sin. He looked up at me through his curls and smiled, releasing my hand. There was a long silence, but it didn't last long. Thankfully, he broke the silence again. "Do you remember me?" he asked. I picked up the glass of chocolate milk again and took a long swig. The longer it took for me to drink, the more time I'd have to come up with an answer, but the drink wasn't long enough. When I put the drink down again, it was gone. I went in to take a bite of toast, but he caught my hand. He placed it back in my lap, his hand on top of mine, and sat patiently waiting for my answer.

"No," I answered after another long silence, "I don't remember you." I sighed and slid my hand out from under his to put my head in my hands. "It's so frustrating being here," I said, "I know I've seen everyone before, but I don't remember any of you. I know I've been here before, but I don't remember _that _either, but the longer I'm in a certain area, or with a certain person, it all starts to come back, piece by piece. It's kind of like I'm remembering…" I trailed off then, not wanting to admit what I had to say next. I felt him lean forward and take my hands in his, pulling my hands away from my face, but I yanked them away. That was a big mistake. I yanked away, and twisted to my side, causing pain to shoot through every part of my torso. I immediately regretted it, and grit my teeth until the pain subsided. I crossed my arms, but kept my eyes on the trey of food in front of me.

"A dream?" he whispered. He moved the trey of food off the bed, forcing me to move my attention somewhere else, but I knew I couldn't avoid him forever. He was going to tell me what was going on. He was going to give me all the answers, even if I didn't want to hear them.

_Dreams aren't real, _I wanted to say, _None of this is supposed to be real. _I wanted to tell him that I didn't believe in this whole thing. This whole different world that I just happened to stumble upon by falling through a mirror wasn't real, yet I was still there, in that world, with all the people in it. I wasn't at home where I should have been. I wasn't waking up in my own bed, in a town that I knew, with people I knew. I was in a foreign place, with familiar strangers.

I simply nodded my head. Although I would never admit it, I was homesick. My life had gone from completely normal to upside down in a split second, and I hated it. I

pulled my knees to my chest and rested my chin on my knees. My hair fell in my face, creating a curtain between Daniel and I. I closed my eyes and tried to picture my dorm room, but if was fuzzy. I couldn't remember what color the carpet was, or the walls. I couldn't remember where my bed sheets looked like or what the view was from my window. I clenched my sheets and began to cry silently. That's all I seemed to do anymore: Cry and become frustrated.

"Why can't I remember things from the real world?" I whispered, "Why is it all becoming so fuzzy?" I moved my hair out of my face and locked eyes with Daniel. I needed to know. I didn't want anymore surprises being pulled from some hat. Before answering, he looked out the window, then back at me.

"The longer you're here," he began, "the more familiar the people and land will become. Sadly though, the longer you're here, the more you forget about the world you came from. It's the same thing if you were to go back through the mirror, you would slowly forget everything and everyone here." He got up from the bed and walked over to the window, keeping his back to me. "This whole world is your own, Ariella, but it's a world you've forgotten. Everything here is either a dream or a nightmare that you've had throughout your lifetime."

I stayed silent and just looked at him. He was so relaxed, but he was confident. He held his head high and his shoulders back. The wings on his back were pure as snow, and moved ever so slightly as he stood still. The sun was shining brightly through the window, leaving him looking like a shadow. I felt safe around him. Maybe it was because he had saved my life, or maybe it was because he looked like a guardian angel. I'm not entirely sure, but not for a moment did I feel vulnerable around him. I felt myself relax, and I wiped away the tears in my eyes that I hadn't noticed. I let go of my knees and let them stretch in front of me, resting my hands in my lap.

When I didn't reply, he turned to look at me. I gave him a smile, and he returned it with the same smile I had gotten before. "I never told you thank you," I said. His eyes widened a little bit, surprised by my statement, and he shifted his weight to his other foot. "You saved my life. I owe you." He began to chuckle and I was baffled. I had been sincere hadn't I? "What's so funny?" I asked, trying to maintain calm and collected.

He walked back over to sit at the edge of my bed, still chuckling. "How about this," he said, calming down, but still with a smile on his face. "Tomorrow, if you're feeling better, I'll take you out to show you this world you created. We'll have lunch somewhere, and we'll call it even." I felt butterflies erupt in my stomach and my heart raced a little faster. I tried to answer, but I started babbling. _Just say yes you idiot! _I told myself, but he beat me to it. "I'll take that as a yes." I nodded and smiled. He took my hand like he had once before and kissed it gently.

He left after that, and checked on me every once in a while. He told me I needed plenty of rest for the day to come. I had trouble sleeping that night, thinking about what could possibly be waiting outside of this room. I hadn't left the bed for two days, and I was excited to see what waited for me outside.

"I see you're feeling better," he said as he walked into the room. He had changed his clothes. Instead of the faded flannel shirt, he wore a white button down with light blue jeans. He still didn't wear shoes. I could tell by the way that he walked that he was always relaxed. Never once did he look tired or stressed, or even slightly worn out.

"I'm feeling a lot better," I admitted. It had felt good to get out of the bed, bathe, and change my clothes. When I had returned from the bathing room, an old woman had knocked on my door and had a pile of clothes for me to change into.

"It's a little chilly today. The rain doesn't seem to be letting up either," she had said to me. She was half my height, and her back was hunched. I thanked her, and she gave me a toothless grin. I knew she was someone I had dreamt about, but I couldn't quite remember her. "I brought you a sweater to wear. I think it will compliment you quite well." I heard her warm laugh as she shuffled down the hallway.

She had been right. The green sweater was form fitting, showing off my hour glass figure. It also brought out my white hair and my eyes. Without even thinking, I had turned to my side to see how it complimented my wings. When I looked in the mirror, I was once again reminded that I no longer had them. A tinge of sadness went through me. Even though I had only had my wings for a short period of time, they still seemed to have been a part of me, and Ritic had taken them away from me. I heard someone coming down the hallway, so I pushed the sadness aside and put a smile on my face.

It had been Daniel walking down the hallway, and after making small talk, I asked him what he was holding behind his back.

"Just something to help get your day off to a good start." he said with a wink. I couldn't help but giggle. From behind his back, he pulled our a bouquet of flowers. Not just any flowers though, my favorite flowers. White roses with blue daisies in a beautiful glass vase.

"Oh, Daniel," I said taking the flowers from him, "They're beautiful." I put the flowers to my nose and breathed in their scent. The pollen tickled my nose, but the smell was so familiar. I felt a warm feeling wash over me, almost like I was home. I walked over, and put them on the windowsill, and made my way back over to him. I closed the gap between us by wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into me. I felt his arms wrap around my waist gently and pull me close. Thankfully, the pain in my back and ribs had disappeared, so the hug wasn't painful. I couldn't help but breathe in his scent. I was greeted with the smell of cinnamon and clean fabric. It wasn't anything special, but for some reason, I loved it.

"Are you ready to go?" he whispered in my ear. My knees instantly went weak and chills ran through my body. His voice was captivating, but there was something about the way he talked to me that made me feel bubbly. I knew he wasn't like Ritic, and that got him plenty of bonus points, but he had been with me since I'd gotten there, sitting with me, talking to me, and now, he was giving me flowers and embracing me like we'd known each other forever.

I'd met him before in a dream, but only once. It had been the last dream I had before the chain of nightmares with Ritic started. I was ten, and he had taken me flying. I didn't have wings in that dream, so he had to carry me, but at the age of ten, I wasn't too heavy. I remember telling him how badly I wanted wings, and he just laughed and told me that maybe someday I would.

He let go of me then, and I forced myself to let go too. He took my hand and led me down the hallway, and to a grand spiral stair case. It was beautiful. It was silver, and the room below was too. It had white carpets, and white drapes, with tall grand windows that revealed the outside world. There were marble columns between every window that towered above our heads. As I stepped closer to one, I noticed the designs carved into the marble. Delicate swirls and flowers entwined together and were painted gold.

"It's pure gold," Daniel said behind me. He tugged on my hand and ushered me out the door. "You'll have plenty of time when you get back to look at the house, I promise." he said laughing, "But today we have a world to explore."

I was half way out the door, when I remembered what the old woman earlier had said. "Won't we need jackets? The old woman said it was raining." Daniel was still moving forward, and closing the door. As I backed up to avoid a collision, I prepared myself to be drenched in the rain. I closed my eyes, waiting for it, but nothing happened. When I opened eyes, I saw that everything around me was dry. The front steps, the siding of the house, the grass, everything was dry. I looked to the sky, and couldn't believe what I saw.

The sky was dark, just like it would be on the day of a huge storm. There was lighting that shot across the sky, and I could hear the roll of thunder, but the one thing I absolutely couldn't miss, was that it was raining. Hard. The strange thing was, it never touched the ground, and it never touched me. It stopped well above the house, but it continued to rain in sheets. The air smelt of rain, and the air was still crisp and chilly, but there was no way I could get wet.

"I remember this," I said, a smile spreading across my face, "I loved rainy days, but it always meant I couldn't go outside to play. I dreamt that there was someway I could have both a rainy day and a play day." I began to laugh then, not in mockery, or as if I was going crazy, but a laugh that you hear when someone finally comes to believe the impossible. Like when a child hears a story of Santa Claus or the tooth fairy. "Is there more?" I asked, excited now. I felt a new burst of energy, tingling in my toes and my fingers. I wanted to see the rest of this world that I had created, I wanted to see how much of it I had forgotten.

"Are you kidding me?" Daniel asked, laughing along with me, "Of course there's more!" He led me down the stairs, and down a twisted sidewalk, into a garden behind a wall of shrubs. As we rounded the corner, one horse came into sight. It was white, with a matching mane and tail. It's eyes were black, and in the middle of its forehead was a black crescent moon.

"Don't startle him," whispered Daniel as we inched forward towards the animal, "He probably won't remember you either, and no one has flown him since you left." The animal looked up at us then, and I froze, as did Daniel. _Flown him? _I thought to myself, but I cut myself short as the animal flared up and the wings unfolded from it's sides. I hadn't noticed them before. They had blended in with the body of the horse almost perfectly. Daniel put his hand in front of me, put I pushed it aside, slowing making my way towards my horse, my Pegasus, or whatever they called them here in my world. "Ariella," Daniel whispered, "Don't, he might-"

"Hush," I whispered back. Daniel didn't move to stop me, but he also didn't retreat. I moved forward, inch my inch, trying not to startle or anger it. I stopped about half way between Daniel and the monstrous beast. It seemed to calm down, and made its way towards me. When it stood only a mere two feet away, I realized how big it really was. My head barely reached the tip of its shoulder, and it looked down on me by another good two or three feet. It lowered its head and sniffed me. _This was a bad idea, _I thought, _what if he doesn't like me?_ It continued to sniff every inch of me: My hair, my clothes, even my feet. Every second that ticked by seemed to last for an eternity. It began to lift its head, but stopped when our eyes met.

I started to look away when I saw his eyes glisten. When I looked back, I wasn't looking into the eyes of a flying horse, I was looking into my dreams from childhood. I saw myself as a little girl, riding on his back. I was nothing compared to the giant that flew me around. I reached for his face, and gently petted his nose. He blinked then, and when he opened his eyes again, they were back to the same color they had been before.

"Looks like you two remember each other," Daniel said, meeting me at my side, gently stroking the horses mane. When the sun hit the hair just right, it almost looked silver. The creature gently nudged him with his nostril, and Daniel reached into the pockets of his faded jeans. He pulled out a round, plump apple, and in a blink of an eye, it was snatched from his hands. Daniel chuckled and rubbed the horse's neck. "You named him Aru," he said, "He doesn't go by anything else."

"What does it mean?" I asked, "His name I mean."

"Aru means 'to exist'." Daniel said, "I'll never understand why you chose that name, but you did." He playfully punched me in the arm before asking me, "Are you ready to ride him?"

"Are you sure I can handle that? I haven't been on a flying horse in years." I gave him a wink. This was all crazy, but I was finally starting to accept the fact that it was real. When I first arrived, I was scared, and I wanted to go home. Now that I was here though, I wanted to see this world of things that I thought was unattainable and impossible.

"You'll be fine," Daniel said, returning the wink, "I'll fly beside you the entire time. And if something happens to go wrong, I'll be able to catch you." A grin spread across his face and I felt those inevitable butterflies start up again. My hands became tingly and I could feel my face flushing bright red. I might as well have been wearing a sign that said, _I'm a typical teenage girl and it's so obvious that I'm starting to like you. _As much as I would like to have hidden it from him, I'm glad he made me feel this way.

At the same time, I felt a little foolish and naïve. I'd only known Daniel for a couple of days, and I'd only learned his name yesterday, but he was cute, kind, understanding, all those good things a girl looked for in a guy. Hell, he was even an _angel. _The only one in the real world who knew him was _me. _There was no competition, no worries, no nothing, just Daniel and I in this impossible world of my dreams.

"My guardian angel." I said quietly as I stroked Aru's mane. Daniel froze, and I felt him looking at me, his eyes burning a hole in the side of my face. I had hoped he hadn't heard me, but I had underestimated my whisper and his ability to hear. I silently cursed myself and turned to face him. _Good going, Ariella, _I thought, _Way to ruin the start to a perfect day. Who the hell am I kidding? After that little comment, there won't be anything after this. _When I turned to face him, he didn't say anything. There was nothing but silence. He locked eyes with me, but I tried to turn my head away. I felt my face getting hot again, but not from some sweet comment he had made, but from embarrassment and frustration towards myself and my big mouth. Once again, the fact hit me that I had only known him for three days. I was being foolish saying things like that. I bit my lip to keep from crying, and I blinked back the tears. I already looked foolish enough, there was no way I would make it worse by crying.

I felt his fingers go under my chin, making me look at him. My arms were crossed tight across my body, but I felt one arm slide through, and wrap around my waist. He pulled me closer, and I put my hands up to create a wall. Not for the same reason with Ritic though, just to put them there. It felt right to put them there, like my hands were supposed to go there. His hand went from under my chin, to my hair, tucking it behind my ear, down my jaw line and to my neck where it stayed. The intensity in his eyes was breath taking. His pure green eyes were burning with a passion I'd never seen before in anyone.

"I can be so much more than your guardian angel," he whispered. His arm tightened around my waist, and he gently ran his hand back up my jaw line to my hair and ran his fingers through it, gripping it gently making my nerves jump in different parts of my body. He pulled me forward then, and I felt his lips connect with mine.


End file.
